Silent rail joint for railroads



JJDILL 2,143,766

` SILENT RAIL JOINT FOR RAVILROADS Filed March 2e, 1956 asheets-shet 2 i aan" um I 12W-enfin' v Jan. 10, 1939.

Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

In laying the tracks for a railroad, it is necessary that each length of rail abut the adjacent one in order to make a continuous track. Due to the variations of temperature, from the high of .5- the summer months to the low of the winter months, it is necessary that a space be left between each rail to allow for expansion and contraction caused by this variation. If this space is not left, the expansion of the rails will cause them to buckle and result in serious accidents.

When the rails have been laid as above men tioned with a space therebetween, and rolling stock is passing thereon, a click will be heard at each joint as the wheels pass thereon. This is annoying to passengers and in time the ends of the rails are Worn away at the upper corner, increasing the noise at this point and requiring eventual replacement by new rails. Further, the intense pressure produced by the wheels of the rolling stock on the ends of each of these rails during this period has a tendency to endshift the rail, especially if the spikes are not firmly fastened, and this also is a frequent cause of serious accidents.

The principal object of the present invention is to construct what might be termed a bridging member which can be fastened to a pair of rails at the joint and which will support the wheels of the rolling stock as they pass over the intervening space therebetween, to avoid both the irritating clicking noise above mentioned, and also prevent the wearing downv of the ends of the rails.

A further object of the invention is to form the bridging member similar to the usual splice bar normally employed to hold rails together in order that the one device may be used for both purposes.

A further object of the invention is to construct the device in such a manner that the two rails may endshift under variations of temperature without reducing the efficiency of the device for the purpose mentioned.

With the above important objects in View, the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a perspective view of a rail joint with the device shown in position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken 55 on the line 3 3, Figure 1.

(CLL 23S-218) Figure 4 is a plan view of a supporting tie plate.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modification of the device.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the end of one of the rails shown in Figure 5.

In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

A pair of railroad ties are indicated by the numerals I and 2, and these ties support between them a tie plate 3 (best shown in Figure 4). This tie plate is provided with a pair of buiier shoulders 4 and 5 and the base is adapted to support the ends of a pair of rails 6 and 'I which meet at the centre of the tie plate and are slightly separated to provide a clearance space indicated by the numeral 8. A pair of holesS and Ill are provided through the webs at each end of the rails to permit the passage of bolts for holding the usual splice bars together. In this construction, the splice bar II on the inner side oi the rail is retained, but the splice bar on the outer sides of the rail is replaced by the invention I2 now to be described.

The invention consists of a device of the same shape as the original splice bar, but the central portion is bulged outward at I3 until the base reaches the outer edge of the bar and the upper face I4 of the bulge is extended to a position level with the top of the rails to form a bridging member which contacts with the outer side of each end of the rails. The ends of the bridging member are tapered as indicated at I5 and I 6. A hole is bored through each end of the bridging member and two central holes I'I and I8 are counter-bored partly through the bulge and are then continued in a smaller bore in order that the usual bolts I9 may be employed to fasten the device to the opposite splice bar. Suitable slots 20 are provided in the lower edges of the device for spikes 2 I, to pass through and the edge is also adapted to contact against the shoulders 4 and 5 of the tie plate 3 to prevent widening of the rails.

In this connection it might be mentioned that the tie plate is intended as a reinforcement for the rails, but it may be dispensed with if it is found that the strength of the bulge I3 is suicient for this purpose.

The flanged wheels on rolling stock employed by the railroads are constructed with treads much wider than the upper face of the rails on which they run. Accordingly, as these wheels approach the clearance space between the ends of the rails, the outer edges thereof will ride onto the tapered end of the bridging member, continue thereon over the clearance space 8, and then roll E the other end onto the succeeding rail. Du;- ing this period, the weight of the wheel will be supported by the bridging member, and no click will be heard. Further, as no weight will strike the opposing ends of the rails, they will not be worn down, and if the tapered ends of the bridging member should project slightly above the upper face of the rails, the continual passage of the rolling stock thereover, will eventually and quickly wear these narrow portions down to conform with the height of the rails. Further, it will be noted that the interior face of the device conforms very closely to the shape of the rail and accordingly when the bolts are tightened the two ends of the rail are firmly held in alignment and one rail end cannot sink lower than the other when weight is supported, as the whole constructiorris held together as a unit.

The modied form shown in Figures 5 and 6, is substantially the same idea with the exception that the bulge of the bridging member is in the reverse direction providing a flat face for the nuts and bolt heads, while the upper face of the ends of the rails are cut away to receive the curvature. The addition of the bridging member maintains the full Width of the railhead, but clearance must be allowed at 22 and 23, to allow for the endshifting of the rails.

What I claim as my invention is:

A silent rail joint for railroad track; comprising a tie plate member and a bridging member, said bridging member being adapted to be substituted for one of the usual fish plates connecting the adjacent ends of aligned rails together, said bridging member comprising an elongated plate having an inner surface conforming to and in sliding contact with the undersides of the railheads and the upper surfaces of the rail bases, a bulged central portion on the opposite surface of said member, said portion extending upwardly along the sides of the railheads to provide an upper at surface flush with the tread of said rails, said surface being tapered at either end and to the railhead sides in a continuous line, the lower central portion of said bridging member being bulged to taper downwardly from the outer edge of the upper flat surface, notches in the lower outer edge of the bridging member to receive fastening means for'securing said member to the ties and'to prevent endwise movement of said member relative to said ties, bolt holes through said bulged portion of said member in alignment with the usual bolt holes in said rail ends and ish plate, said holes in said member being of a lesser diameter than said holes in said rail ends, said bolt holes through said bulged portion of said member being countersunk to permit the use of standard bolts, said tie plate being adapted to rest on the ties and support the ends of said aligned rails and said bridging member, and upstanding flanges along one side edge of said tie plate, said flanges being adapted to engage said lower outer edge of said bridging member and to maintain said securing means in said notches in said lower outer edge of said member.

JOHN DILL. 

